Maude glared at him as she hissed.
“Isn’t it obvious the dear boy wants to be with his mother?”
Chris simply glared right back at her and snapped.
“In case you haven’t noticed the dear boy is a man and why don’t we let the man make up his own mind?”
Ezra looked gratefully at Larabee and turned to his mother before speaking loud and clear.
“Mother, I love you dearly and would love to travel the world with you...”
“See, Mr. Larabee...”
“Let him finish!” Chris snapped.
“But I have other obligations that will prevent me from doing so for at least another...
“Fifty or sixty years,” Larabee finished with a grin.
“Indubitably!” Standish exclaimed, a smile of satisfaction on his face.
“You belong with us, Ezra,” Sanchez mumbled as he drifted off to sleep, knowing the younger man was happy with the choice he’d made.
“Chris?”
Larabee forced heavy lids open and looked at the doctor standing beside his bed. He hadn’t slept well, but it wasn’t because of nightmares of Maguire or Milliard, it was more to do with monitoring equipment and wires attached to his body. He knew he was frustrated, exhausted, both physically and mentally, yet he was trying his best to keep his explosive temper under control. He forced a smile to his face and looked at the man who help get him this far.
“Hi, Doc, when can I get out of here?”
Barrett smiled at the still pale man, knowing it would be another day or two before he was out of ICU and a couple of weeks before he was sent home. Then he’d be facing weeks, possibly months of physiotherapy on his hip.
“Chris, you won’t be out of here until those monitors tell us everything is back to normal. Right now we need to make sure...”
“Dammit, Doc, I’m tired of all this!” he said, indicating the jumble of equipment.
Barrett pulled the chair towards the bed and sat down. He knew how Larabee felt, but right now they had no choice and neither did he. He knew the temper would get worse and was glad Dr. Hastings was scheduled to see the patient later in the day.
“Chris, what’s really bothering you?” he asked, knowing the blond was still in pain and the injuries were a constant reminder of the torture he’d gone through.
Larabee turned away and shut his eyes against the onslaught of emotions running through his mind.
“I j...just...I...”
“Chris, remember who you’re talking to. I’ve been where you are.”
Larabee nodded and felt a lump forming in his throat as he looked into the sad eyes of a fellow victim.
“Does it ever go away?”
“Not totally. It’ll always be a part of who you are, but a man has to choose if he wants it to eat away at him, or make it into something he can use to make him stronger.”
“You seem to have used it to your advantage,” Larabee said.
“What happened to me is in the past...”
“Not according to your eyes,” the blond said.
Barrett nodded and gazed into the green pools of liquid emotions. “Chris, I said it happened in the past, but it’s always in my mind, not at the front, not always where I can see it, but it’s there. Some days I just want to scream and kick at the world and ask God-why me? What the hell did I do to deserve this?” the doctor hissed as he wrung his hands in his lap.
“Did you ever come up with an answer?”
“Yeah...yeah I did.”
“What was it?” the injured man asked hopefully, wanting an answer to the questions that still troubled him.
“That it wasn’t anything I did. That it wouldn’t have mattered to the sick b...bastard whether I was a perfect angel or a real son of a bitch who didn’t give a damn who I hurt. See these men look for a victim they can hurt. It doesn’t matter to them who they are as long as they have control. That’s what it’s all about! The bastard thinks he has control over his victim through the torture and pain he inflicts, but you know what?”
“What?”
“He only has control if we give it over to him. Did you give him control?”
“N...no...I d...don’t think so.”
“Then he has nothing to hold over you. You’ve proven that you were stronger than he was by keeping control of who you are and not becoming what he wanted.”
“G...guess we b...both d...did th...that, Doc,” Larabee wheezed.
Barrett knew the younger man was still having problems with his lungs and even with therapy, he needed to build that strength back up. He turned to the nurse who remained in the room, but was silent through the whole exchange. At a signal she started setting up a mask for her patient and soon had it placed over his mouth and nose as painful wheezing came from deep in his throat.
Barrett patted his left shoulder and stood up. “Chris, let that take effect and I’ll finish my examination when it’s done.”
Larabee’s eyes were closed, but he opened them at the touch. “O...kay...thanks, Doc...for everything,” he mumbled tiredly, letting his eyes slide closed once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Josiah was more than grateful to have gotten rid of the IV and monitoring equipment. Although still a little weak, his recovery was happening faster than expected and he would be discharged from the hospital the next morning. He walked slowly towards Larabee’s room, knowing the younger man must be getting frustrated with the constant care and attention. The man hated being confined, let alone confined and under watch. He stood in the door for a few minutes, watching as the nurse checked the monitoring equipment and IV lines.
To most people, Chris Larabee looked as if he was sleeping, but to the older man, the tension and anger was evident on the handsome face. He walked into the room and shook his head as the nurse made to wake her patient. He was surprised to see the blond alone in the room, and realized he’d probably told the others he was fine and it would be okay for them to leave him alone. He sat heavily in the chair and watched the nurse leave. He took a deep breath and waited for Larabee to acknowledge his presence.
Chris was aware of the newcomer the minute he stood in the doorway, but didn’t feel like talking. He’d been thinking about his conversation with Derrick Barrett. The man said some things that struck close to home, and Chris wondered if he’d ever be able to put everything in the same kind of perspective the doctor had. He prayed he could, because if he didn’t, his life would change drastically, and he wasn’t sure he liked what those changes would bring. He sighed heavily and opened his eyes, turning towards the man seated beside the bed.
“Sounds like you’ve taken the weight of the world on your shoulders again, Brother,” the ex-preacher observed.
Larabee felt tears forming in his eyes as he read the sympathy on his friend’s face. This man may not be able to read him as well as Vin Tanner did, but he was always willing to listen and pass on a piece of advice that was worth its wait in gold.
“I’m just tired, Josiah....”
“And feeling as if you’ll never be free of all this,” Sanchez finished, gesturing towards the beeping monitors.
“Y...yeah. I know it’s self pity...”
“Well, Chris, I can’t blame you if you do feel a bit of self pity. Lord knows you’ve been put through hell the past few weeks.”
Larabee lifted troubled eyes and met the blue ones before him. “Vin was hurt pretty bad too, Josiah, but he’s not sitting back pitying himself...and neither are you.”
“Me?” the older man said softly. “I drank a little water that didn’t agree with me. Basically it felt like the stomach flu, but I’m fine now. What’s going on with you probably feels like it’s been happening forever and will never end. Yes, Vin was hurt and left for dead, but again he was not forced to endure what you were and he wasn’t alone...”
“I...wasn’t alone either...They were there.”
“Yes they were and that was a very special gift, but they weren’t flesh and blood. They weren’t your friends... the ones who you could reach out and touch and know you weren’t alone. The ones who knew what your world was like. I am very happy we were all given the chance to see part of our history, but those men were part of who we were, not who we are. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Chris, they were an important part of the last few weeks and without their help I think we would have lost you. We had no idea where to start looking, but they came through when we needed them too.”
“Why, Josiah? Why did they do that now? Why would they show up at that particular time?”
“I have a theory about that...want to hear it?”
Larabee nodded and rubbed his fingers across his temples, fighting back the tears he felt so close to the surface. He didn’t want to show that part of himself, not here, not now, not when anyone could walk in on them.
“Well, I think it had to do with Robert Maguire and that journal of his ancestor. I bet if we’d taken the time to read it, we would have found out your great, great grandfather escaped Robert Maguire’s clutches on the same date you did. Maguire was right about destiny, but he was wrong about the outcome. It was never destined for you or your great, great grandfather to die on that date...but it was destined for both of you to rid the world of an animal...one whose lineage is now over. Don’t ask me how I know that, because I would have to say I don’t know, but Maguire will never harm any of us or our descendants again. The man is dead and suffering in hell for all eternity. He will never be able to hurt anyone we care about again! Others will try and even succeed, but we will always grow stronger from the experience because we are and always will be seven!”
Larabee saw the light in the man’s eyes and knew what he said was true. There was no doubt in his mind about destiny and the friendship of the six men he called friends. That they would live on for generations to come was a certainty for him now. Sanchez was right in everything he said and Chris smiled weakly at him.
Neither man noticed the five men standing just outside the door. They arrived shortly after Josiah started talking about destiny and each man understood the truth in those words. They really were destined to become The Magnificent Seven and would continue to work on the side of the law for generations to come.
Chris glanced towards the door and smiled as the five came into the room. His family was whole again, and soon he would be as well. One look told him they heard Josiah’s words and the proof of that promise was written on their faces. There’d be others who would hurt them, but as long as they were together they could defeat anyone or anything. He felt a smile forming on his face, and for the first time in a long time there was a lightness surrounding his mind. They were here and they were seven, nothing could deplete their number as long as they fought together.
“Hello, Boys,” he said, a smile forming on his face even as tears leaked from his eyes.
“Mr. Larabee, I do hope they are treating you well here,” Standish said softly.
“Hello, Chris,” Jackson greeted as he closed the door.
“How’s it going, Stud?” Wilmington asked.
“Hey, Chris, I got a new joke...What?” Dunne asked as groans sounded around him.
“Never mind, Kid. In your case laughter is not the best medicine,” Tanner said. Blue eyes met green and the silent greeting was quickly exchanged.
“Yeah, JD, we want laughs not groans,” the ladies man observed.
The young Bostonian frowned as he looked at the men in the room, coming to rest on the gambler.
“Hey, gimme a chance...I’ve been working on my repa...repa...repa... whatever...I’ve been working on it.”
“JD, Chris and Josiah are already in the hospital, but the rest of us....”
“I’m not that bad, Buck!”
“Just ignore Buck, Kid, that’s what I always do,” Larabee said, happy to have his friends in the room with him, in spite of it being a little overcrowded.
Standish wrapped an arm around the younger man’s shoulders and smiled as he said. “Mr. Dunne, we need to keep the noise level to a minimum before we are discovered. Therefore any jokes you’ve added to your repertoire need to be saved until we can let loose with our...”
“Groans!” Wilmington finished.
“Very funny, Buck,” Dunne hissed.
“Ignore, him, JD, the rest of us do,” Standish muttered softly.
“You wound me, Ezra, I thought you and me had an agreement...No insults for twenty four hours,” the ladies man said with a smile.
“That was not an insult, it was an observation...”
“An insulting observation,” the scoundrel tried to look miffed, but it wasn’t working.
“Children, if you plan on staying I would advise you all to lower your voices and your insults!” Sanchez warned, the smile on his face belying the tone he used.
Chris was enjoying the company, it soothed away the worries and pain he’d been feeling. His eyes met those of his best friend and the two men tuned out the joking of their friends. Silent signals passed between them, one man letting the other know that he was getting better, the other coming to terms with the devastating torture inflicted on his friend.
Vin reached for the glass and filled it with ice water before placing a straw into it. He handed it to the older man and smiled as Larabee muttered ‘thanks’.
Chris sipped the cold water, his eyes coming to rest on the woman walking towards his room. He smiled as he recognized the pretty auburn haired beauty.
Vin followed his gaze and smiled at the excitement in Larabee’s dancing green eyes. He smiled and turned to the others.
“Guess we’d best get going if we’re gonna make that movie,” Tanner said.
“Hey, Vin, lots of time for...” JD looked in the direction Vin was pointing and smiled sheepishly.
“Oh, guess you’re right,” the kid said as Buck grinned at the woman.
“Hey, Stud, looks like you got company,” the ladies man said and smiled at the slight color in Larabee’s cheeks as Anne Sheridan entered the room.
“Gentlemen!”
“Hi Anne,” Jackson greeted the nurse.
“Hi, Anne, we were just leaving,” Wilmington said.
“We were?”
“Yeah, JD, we were,” the ladies man said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “Say goodbye, Kid!”
“Goodbye, Kid,” Dunne repeated and got a slap on the back and major groans from his friends. “Bye, Chris, Anne. See you later, Josiah.” He called over his shoulder as Wilmington pushed him from the room.
“See you tomorrow, Chris, and hopefully without all the attachments,” Jackson said as he followed the two men out.
“Mr. Larabee, I second Mr. Jackson’s sentiments,” Standish told him as he hurried after the others.
“Chris,” the sharpshooter said, clasping Larabee’s left arm in his own.
“Thanks, Vin,” Larabee smiled, knowing what they needed to say didn’t need words. He released the younger man’s grip and watched him walk out of the room.
“Well, Brother, I think I’ll take my leave of you as well,” Sanchez said and leaned over the bed to whisper in Larabee’s ear. “After all three is still a crowd.”
“Thanks, Josiah,” Larabee said, fighting back the blush he felt rising to his cheeks.
“Do you need any help getting back to your room, Mr. Sanchez?” Anne asked.
“Are you kidding? If you look outside the room you’ll see five men waiting to escort this ol...”
“Don’t say it, Josiah, you’re not old!” the nurse interrupted.
“Well, thank you, Anne, that’s mighty kind of you to say. Chris, get some sleep and remember we are...”
“Seven,” Larabee finished as the older man left. “Seven,” he repeated with a smile.
“How are you feeling, Chris?” Anne asked, bending over to brush her lips against his, and feeling the apprehension growing once more.
Larabee’s eyes shot open at the heat he felt from the slight touch and he waited until their eyes met.
“Feeling better, now that you’re here...But...”
The nurse frowned as she caught the serious note in his voice. “But?”
“You took a hell of a chance, Anne. You could’ve been killed.”
Anne shook her head as she took his left hand in her own. “No, Chris, I was safe, Ezra was the one taking the chance.”
“Then what’s this?” he asked as he ran his fingers over the bruised knuckles of her right hand.
Anne blushed as she met his steady gaze.
“I got angry and...”
“Slugged her!” Larabee said with a grin. “Buck says you’ve got one hell of an uppercut.”
“I used to get lessons from my brothers when I was younger. I was teased a lot in school and they thought I should know how to defend myself. Thank God I never had to use it before.”
“Remind me never to get you angry,” Larabee said, smiling as he ran his left hand down her arm. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, seeing the tears forming in her eyes.
“Yes...I think so...its just that I’m not sure this is right.”
“What?” he asked worriedly.
“Me...being here...with you.”
“Anne, I know all about hospital policies, hell, I’ve been in them often enough I could probably quote hospital scripture. Look, you’re not my nurse anymore and I’ve got all my faculties,” he laughed as he looked at her. “Okay, all my usual faculties, which Nathan usually says are lacking, but that’s because I keep trying to escape...Ah hell,” he said as he realized he was drifting from the subject and he worried about the pain he saw on her face.
“Anne, I know what I’m doing. I’m not reaching out for you because of what you’ve done for me. I’m reaching out because I’d like to know if there’s something growing between us and I’m hoping you feel the same way.”
“Chris, I want to believe you, but can you say for certain that...”
“Right now I’m not certain of anything, Anne, but I want to give us a chance. Will you give us a chance?” He reached for her left hand with his own and waited for her to look at him. Before she could answer he pulled her down to him and their lips met. He held her close, the kiss, both gentle and forceful at the same time lasted longer than expected.
Anne moaned at the feelings running through her, feeling the heat move from her lips, through her stomach, and down into her lower body. Nothing had ever affected her like this, no man had ever made her feel this way. She felt him release her and opened her eyes, meeting his once more.
“Will you give us that chance?” Larabee repeated softly in her ear. “I can’t promise you the road won’t be rocky, but I can promise you it will be one hell of a ride.”
“Chris, I...” She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands were in her lap, her fingers running around the ring finger of her left hand. Memories of another man ran through her mind and she felt the tears flow from her eyes. She stood up, bit her bottom lip and fighting back the tears she raced from the room. She heard him call to her, but didn’t stop until she reached the stairwell. She sat on the top stair, crying as the pain returned to haunt her.
“God, I’m so sorry, Chris, I can’t do this!” she cried.
Chris lay back against the pillow, desperately calling her name as she ran from the room. He tried to sit up and slide out of bed, but there was too much equipment to be unhooked. He closed his eyes, seeing again the tears in hers, feeling again the warmth that spread through him at her touch, and knew he was going to fight for what he was feeling. He sighed as his nurse came back into the room and checked the monitors and IVs. He wished he could go after her, but right now there was nothing he could do. Before he knew what was happening, sleep crept up on him and he gave into it.
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